A Serious Question for Jewish Democrats

I think I made this too jovial and hypothetical to be interesting.

Tulsi Gabbard just announced a white house bid. She is well received by populists on both sides of the spectrum, including none other than Steve Bannon. She’s a Hindu.

How we deal with Christians is not a proof that hilchos avoida zara don’t apply today. We don’t posken that Christianity is A”Z for goyim, which is why we can buy stuff from them before their holidays. Eastern religion is, however, a problem according to everyone.

“the question is, where does voting for a candidate who happens to be an oveid a”z fit in?”

That would be the question. I don’t think the situation has ever presented itself in history. It could potentially give a boost to Hinduism in the US.

“Why are you a Democrat?”
I never said anything about who I would vote for in the general. Do you prefer to register in such a way that you disenfranchise yourself just so that you can tout that you’re “a republican?”

“What exactly are you disenfranchised from by being a registered Republican?”
It means you can’t vote in Democratic primaries. There will be no Republican primary next presidential cycle, so if you don’t reregister, you will have to sit and watch from the sidelines (unless your state allows you to vote in either primary). What on earth do the mayoral elections of NYC have to do with anything? Are you not allowed to vote differently than how you’re registered in them?

Gadol: Probably the most reasonable comment I’ve ever seen from you in CR history. You probably noticed that the usual far-left media suspects started running hit pieces on Gabbard as soon as she announced. They haven’t clearly anointed a primary candidate yet because they’re all too busy drooling over Ocasio-Cortez still, but my guess is that it will be Warren and we’ll have a total repeat of 2016: barely any primary debates, a super-delegate controversy, biased media coverage, etc.

“You reregister to the opposing party of the president before re-election, every alternative cycle, in order to vote in their primary since the president’s party obviously won’t have a primary against the president?”

Correct. Many people do it. Some people also purposely stay registered in the party opposite to their hashkafa for various ulterior motives. Some people, for example, might purposely vote for the weakest democrat because all they care about is Republican victory; I don’t personally agree with that technique. Didn’t a YWN article say that something like 60% of Simcha Felder’s district is registered as dem even though most of them voted Trump?

There was still clearly a bigger inyan in voting in one of the 2016 primaries than the other, even without an incumbent running for re-election. So, the answer is Republican, in my case.

That’s just me, however. Everyone has their reasons to register one way or another. I think it’s still possible to pick out a favorite candidate from the “other” party, even if you don’t agree with their core principles.

“Isn’t that, like, what being a racist is?”
If the Torah told you that you couldn’t do business with someone based on their ethnicity, would you go off the derech because it would be “what being a racist is?”

Like it or not, there are restrictions when it comes to dealing with idol worshipers, and eastern religion is unambiguous avodah zara. The halachah really doesn’t care how well it meshes with 21st century, progressive sentimentality.

On a side note, as far as ethnicity is concerned, I believe Gabbard is a convert (not that there’s such thing as a Hindu race anyway).

Theoretically it could be a machlokes. However, the point with the Rambam and pikuach nefesh with regards to converting is obviously talking about A”Z for Yidden, not goyim. We do, I believe, posken that you would be over on A”Z as a Jew if you converted to Christianity.

Even if the Rambam did mean it for goyim, then apparently we don’t posken that way. If we did, it would be assur to do business with Christians in close proximity to their holidays (I can’t remember exactly how many days the gezeira is), which would probably include every Sunday. I believe I also read that it’s mutar to sell candles or some such thing to goyim even if you know he might use it for Christianity. If the practice was assur even by the sheva mitzvos b’nei Noach, then it would presumably be lifnei iver to do so just like selling eiver min hachai to a goy.

For the topic of the OP, there have obviously been times where the Jews had to pay taxes to governments run by idolaters. Even right now, Gabbard is a public official so some of our tax money might be going to her salary, which is being used to fund avodah zara. Apparently it’s not a problem. My question is, is it so mutar that you can even knowingly put yourself in that situation by helping elect an oved A”Z?

“They believe that he is both ” lord and savior”. They repeat this phrase all the time.”
It’s true. That’s a point Jews don’t make often enough when talking about Christianity. If it were just a matter of having a different set of prophets for the same god, they would have the same status as Islam.

To Avi’s credit, he’s right that run-of-the-mill Christians don’t think about it. If they did, the religion probably wouldn’t exist anymore. It’s entirely based on contradiction.

Avi, I have no idea what you’re trying to reply to. I never said anyone shouldn’t pay taxes. I’m also not really sure why you’re so intent on defending Christianity. Their claim that they’re true monotheists who don’t view their guy as a demigod is about as useful as Muslim’s claim that Islam is a “religion of peace.”